Every so often a member of the Maple Leafs will drop into an interview the importance of Frederik Andersen, no matter if there was a question about the goaltender.

Usually it’s mentioned in the context that Andersen can win games when the Leafs weren’t overly deserving.

That’s what happened on Tuesday night at Scotiabank Arena.

The Vegas Golden Knights, their appearance in the 2018 Stanley Cup final fading each day, were trouble for the Leafs but couldn’t get the puck past Andersen, allowing Toronto to emerge with a 3-1 victory.

“He is the reason we stole one,” forward Mitch Marner said. “It seems like he has no pressure on him. He just goes out there and has fun with it.

“He is a pretty quiet guy, but this year he has opened up a lot. I think he jokes around a lot, fun to be around. When he gets to the rink he is a very serious guy, he really focuses and gets ready for the game and he is a pro. He knows how to get it done right and he has been unbelievable for the last two years for us.”

It was the Leafs’ second win in their past six home games and was accomplished because Andersen stopped 36 shots. The Leafs had 21 shots on goal, their fewest in a game this season.

Though the Leafs didn’t carry much forward from their shutout win in Pittsburgh on Saturday, they improved to 10-5-0 while Vegas dropped to 6-8-1.

“When you look at this game, it’s kind of like when Pittsburgh left here with the points (in a 3-0 win on Oct. 18) or when Dallas left here with the points (in a 2-1 win last Thursday),” Leafs coach Mike Babcock said. “You thought you had done enough to win and you didn’t. (Against Vegas), the shoe is on the other foot and we’ll take ’er and maybe we can loosen up at home a little bit and play.

“(Andersen) does a good job for us all the time. We expect him, every once in a while, to win us a game.”

Toronto Maple Leafs Connor Brown RW (28) in the spotlight after scoring the opening goal of the game during the first period in Toronto on Tuesday November 6, 2018. Jack Boland/Toronto Sun/Postmedia Network

Toronto Maple Leafs Nikita Zaitsev D (22) tries to clear the puck away from Vegas Golden Knights William Karlsson C (71) during the first period in Toronto on Tuesday November 6, 2018. Jack Boland/Toronto Sun/Postmedia Network

Vegas Golden Knights William Karlsson C (71) thumps Toronto Maple Leafs Frederik Gauthier C (33) into the boards during the first period in Toronto on Wednesday November 7, 2018. Jack Boland/Toronto Sun/Postmedia Network

Toronto Maple Leafs Frederik Andersen G (31) just gets his glove on a shot as Vegas Golden Knights Tomas Nosek C (92) is pushed into him during the second period in Toronto on Tuesday November 6, 2018. Jack Boland/Toronto Sun/Postmedia Network

Toronto Maple Leafs Frederik Andersen G (31) snags a puck as he is screened by Vegas Golden Knights Erik Haula LW (56) during the second period in Toronto on Wednesday November 7, 2018. Jack Boland/Toronto Sun/Postmedia Network

Toronto Maple Leafs Jake Gardiner D (51) is draped all over Vegas Golden Knights Tomas Nosek C (92) during the second period in Toronto on Wednesday November 7, 2018. Jack Boland/Toronto Sun/Postmedia Network

Leafs lance Knights 3-1

One thing the Leafs did have going for them offensively — and it’s a factor that opponents often worry about when playing Toronto — was the ability to take advantage of turnovers.

The Leafs scored each of their first two goals after forcing the Golden Knights to give them the puck.

Toronto scored at 5:30 of the first period, after going five home games in a row without scoring in either the first or the second, when Connor Brown ripped a shot over the glove of goalie Marc-Andre Fleury for his second goal.

The shot came after Brown picked the pocket of defenceman Nick Holden 15 feet in front of Fleury.

Toronto went up 2-0 at nine seconds of the second period when Marner, who was the busiest Leaf around Fleury, scored for the first time in eight games. Marner went high on Fleury’s blocker side, after John Tavares was able to take the puck from William Karlsson at the Vegas blue line.

The Golden Knights’ only goal came at 11:22 of the second when a shot by Shea Theodore was tipped by Cody Eakin.

Andersen, whose ability to move across the crease is among his best attributes, made several big stops that way, none better than sliding over to stop a one-timer by Erik Haula in the second period.

Andersen thwarted Reilly Smith with 21/2 minutes to play, causing many in the crowd of 19,045 to chant the netminder’s name.

The Golden Knights, whose speed was problematic for Toronto, lost Haula five minutes into the third. Haula was taken off the ice on a stretcher, favouring his right knee, after he was hit into the side boards by Patrick Marleau.

“You don’t want to see that happen,” Marleau said. “Anytime you see that it’s not a good thing. Hopefully, he’s OK.”

CAUGHT ON VIDEO

For National Hockey League players, reviewing film is a daily way of life.

The Ottawa Senators unwittingly provided some embarrassing video that had some of the Leafs and Golden Knights talking on Tuesday after the morning skate.

The conclusion, for the most part? Everyone talks about everyone in the game of hockey. Being caught on video doing so, though, wouldn’t be wished upon anyone.

“All the players talk about coaches all the time, believe me, and vice versa,” said Vegas coach Gerard Gallant, who played in 615 games in the NHL. “We talk about them all the time, too. It’s unfortunate the (Ottawa) incident happened. It shouldn’t happen.”

The video — in which several members of the Senators, including forward Matt Duchene and defencemen Chris Wideman and Thomas Chabot, bad-mouth the team and make fun of assistant coach Martin Raymond’s methods — initially was allegedly posted to social media by an Uber driver after it was filmed without the players’ knowledge during a recent road trip that included a stop in Phoenix.

Leafs defenceman Travis Dermott was asked, only somewhat jokingly, what the odds were that he and a teammate would talk hockey the next time they are in an Uber together.

Dermott acknowledged that similar conversations often occur among his fellow Leafs.

“They’re wanting to win and talking amongst teammates, it’s kind of a tough situation to put yourself in that way, but hockey is hockey,” Dermott said. “Everyone wants to win, so talking amongst your teammates like that, it happens, but you try to be as respectful as you can about it, of course.

“You have to always be aware. There is always eyes on you. If you’re going to talk like that, you probably should make sure you are pretty safe about it. It’s a tough bounce for them, but it could happen to anyone.”

Golden Knights forward Ryan Reaves was a little more succinct.

“It sucks,” Reaves said. “(Players) shouldn’t have to be worrying about what you’re saying in an Uber. That’s my opinion. You never want to be filmed when you don’t know you’re being filmed, put it that way.

“I would never expect a cab ride conversation to be made public, but it’s the world we live in right now. Everybody is a snitch.”

Leafs coach Mike Babcock didn’t necessarily side with those who argued the video was an invasion of the Senators’ privacy.

“Any time someone says to you, ‘This is off the record,’ nothing is off the record in your life,” Babcock said. “Everywhere you go, there is someone taking your picture or the camera is on, and you know that as well.

“You can call it an invasion of privacy, sure, but is that not what we all live with every single day? I don’t know how this is any different than anything I’m doing, living right here. To me that is part of the job. But what really matters is the people who sit at your kitchen table. It’s what they think. The rest is kind of overrated.”

A couple of thoughts on the video — it’s especially not good for Duchene, who raised some eyebrows when he complained his way out of Colorado last year. And why do the players think it’s fine to talk about their own team in that way in front of a stranger? Isn’t doing it in the company of one person bad enough, never mind that thousands have seen the video? The Sens, who have made an art form out of tripping over themselves, should have made the players in the video available to media on Tuesday, get the story done and over with. They did not.

Finally, who could have guessed that the promotional video of Sens defenceman Mark Borowiecki interviewing owner Eugene Melnyk, released by the club in September, wound up not being the most cringe-worthy piece of film involving members of the organization?

CHEERS FOR BOYLE

Brian Boyle wasn’t a Leaf for long — 21 games at the end of the 2016-17 season and six more in the playoffs that spring — but the big forward made an impact as he was respected in the room for his insight and experience.

The Leafs were applauding from afar when Boyle recorded his first NHL hat trick on Monday night, scoring three goals in the New Jersey Devils’ victory against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The historic night for Boyle, who confirmed two weeks ago that his cancer was in remission, came during Hockey Fights Cancer night in Pittsburgh. Boyle was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia in September 2017 and was awarded the Masterton Trophy last season.

“I was watching the game,” Babcock said. “It was unbelievable. Good guy.

“I lost my mom to cancer. Anybody who has been involved in cancer, it scares the crap out of you … you just pray to God no one has to experience it.”

Said Kapanen, who played on a line with Boyle and was fed by the veteran for a double-overtime goal against the Washington Capitals in the first round of the 2017 Stanley Cup playoffs: “I’m really happy for him. (Scoring three) is a special night. The person and the player — the way he holds himself accountable for everything. He’s a real team leader. Playing with a guy like that was a huge honour for me.”

POINT SHOTS

Joel Quenneville has been fired in Chicago. John Stevens has been fired in Los Angeles. How long before Mike Yeo experiences a similar fate in St. Louis? As for Quenneville, he will be out of work until the minute he decides he wants to return to an NHL bench … Among the items in the Leafs games notes listed under Upcoming Milestones: Trevor Moore is one game from his first career NHL game. Let’s add that Moore also is one goal from his first NHL goal and one assist from his first NHL assist. Moore took the warmup but that was it … The Carolina Hurricanes had one scout, Rick Dudley, accredited for the game after sending three to watch the Leafs play Dallas last Thursday. And that after the ’Canes have had two scouts at several Leafs games. Does this mean Carolina is now sure which players it will insist be included in a potentially bigger trade involving William Nylander?

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